Production I.G, Warner Take on ‘Giovanni’s Island’

Tokyo – The Production I.G animation studio has announced the production of “Giovanni’s Island.” Based on true events, the animated pic depicts the cross-cultural friendships of children on Shikotan, a Japanese island occupied by the Soviets after the end of World War 2. Warner will distribute the pic in Japan, with an opening scheduled for the spring of 2014. The pic is being produced by Japan Association of Music Enterprises (JAME) to commemorate the org’s 50th anniversary.

The director is Mizuho Nishikubo, a long-time associate of famed animation director Mamoru Oshii. His own directing credits include “Musashi: The Dream of the Last Samurai” (2009).

The pic is being scripted by Shigemichi Sugita from his own original story. Sugita is best known as the director of the “From the Northern Lands” live-action drama series, which ran for 21 years from 1981.

Based in Tokyo, Production I.G is one of Japan’s most prominent animation studios with credits that include Oshii’s Cannes competition entry “Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence” (2004) and Venice invitee “The Sky Crawlers” (2008), as well as Hiroyuki Okiura’s “A Letter to Momo” (2012, pictured), which had its world premiere at Toronto.